Laser Vein Treatment

The Nd YAG laser pierces the skin and penetrates the superficial blood vessel. The heat generated from the laser coagulates the blood inside the vessel causing it to collapse and seal. Over the next few weeks, the vessel will disappear and all the blood will be removed by the body’s scavenging cells. The newer laser treatments allow the delivery of a precise dosage of energy to each blood vessel without injuring any nearby structures.

It is very effective in treating small veins, less than 1-2mm in diameter, whether on the face or the legs. This also makes it a very good treatment for rosacea where one has numerous red vessels on the face. The following skin disorders can be treated with Nd YAG laser beams. Vascular lesions:

• ND YAG can be used to remove spider and thread veins in the face (cheek, temporal region, nasal dorsum, forehead) and legs.
• Some vascular birthmarks (capillary vascular malformations)
• Varicose veins in the leg
• Facial veins (telangiectasis)
• Haemangiomas (vascular tumours) in the face and around the mouth

Pigmented lesions:

• Nd YAG laser can be used to remove brown age spots (solar lentigines), freckles, naevus of Ota, naevus of Ito, mongolian spots, Hori naevus and café-au-lait-macules.

Depending on the size and number of veins, two to three treatments will be needed. The treatments are usually 4-6 weeks apart. Those with a tendency towards vascular problems will most likely require additional treatments.

If your veins are small red thread veins less than 1-2mm in diameter, whether on the face or the legs you are suitable for laser vein treatment. However, if your veins are blue in colour and larger than 0.05mm they should be treated by the alternative method of vein removal called sclerotherapy. Treatment is not recommended if you are suntanned as the laser light is competitively absorbed by the pigment cells and the red cells, reducing the efficacy of the treatment. There are no major preparations required before the laser treatment. A few common-sense recommendations include avoiding sun exposure, aspirin and alcohol. On the day of the treatment, one should avoid all creams, lotions and moisturisers on the area that is going to be treated. One should wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the body part(s). The main Contra-indication of this treatment is pregnancy. If you are not sure if you are a suitable candidate please contacts the clinic for further advice.

The results of laser treatment for spider veins are not immediate. After the laser therapy, the vessels underneath the skin will gradually change from a dark blue to light red colour, then eventually disappearing in two to six weeks. Most patients report a high degree of satisfaction with the procedure and relief at no longer having to hide unsightly veins. The treated areas are noticeably clearer and in most cases, the skin continues to improve with each successive treatment. The majority of spider veins will disappear within two to four weeks, and in some cases even longer.

The skin above the veins will have a reddish, cat-scratch appearance. This generally disappears over the next two days.

You should avoid exposure to intense sunlight for 2 weeks after treatment. Healing can be facilitated by wearing a support hose. The pain is minimal and one may take any over the counter pain medications. After treatment, there is no down time. You can resume all of your normal activities immediately afterwards.